High density Planting in

Banana

CARD- Krishi Vigyan Kendra

 Banana –District Back Ground
• Total Area - 4647 Ha
• Average production - 17659 tones
• Productivity - 9.355kg/Ha
• Major Varieties - Nendran (70% area)
Palayamkodan
Njalipoovan
Poovan
• Farmer Back ground - Resource poor farmers- grow
Nendran Banana in leased land
• Major Problem Identified - Low profitability due to high
cost of production
 Timeline of Intervention
• 2007-08
Identified High density planting Using Tissue Culture plants of
Nendran Banana as technology to be tested
Intervention - OFT - 3 trials Location - Kodumon village
Technological Option 1 - Double Planting
• Source of Technology – Kerala Agricultural University
• Details of Technology
Row to Row and Pit to Pit spacing – 3m x 2 m
No of Plants /pit - 2 Nos
Planting Methodology – Plants planted at a spacing of 30 cm
perpendicular to the direction of row
No of Pits / ha - 1666 ( Traditional -2500 Nos )
No of Plants / Ha - 3332 ( Traditional -2500 Nos )
 Timeline of Intervention cont ….

• Technological Option 2- Triple Planting

• Source of Technology – Tamil Nadu Agricultural University-
IVLP publication
• Details of Technology
Row to Row and Pit to Pit spacing – 3m x 2 m
No of Plants /pit - 3 Nos
Planting Methodology – Plants planted at the three corners of
a triangle of 30 cm
No of Pits/ Ha - 1666 ( Traditional -2500 Nos )
No of Plants / Ha - 4998 ( Traditional -2500 Nos )
Other Interventions - Trainings conducted 3 Nos ,44 participants
Critical Input given - Tissue culture plants of Nendran banana
 Timeline of Intervention cont ….
Result
• Average yield/pit (kg) Plant Height
Farmers practice – 9.02kg Farmers Practice- 3.25m
Double Planting - 16.25kg Double planting – 3.35m
Triple planting - 21.04kg Triple Planting – 3.68m

Yield Net Return BC Ratio

Farmers practice 10.02 t/ha 170750 1.8:1

Double planting 27.07 t/ha 236572 2.09:1

Triple planting 35.05t/ha 328202 2.23:1

Observations and Farmers Feed backs

•In triple planting the plants grow taller due to competition for light resulting in greater wind
damage
• Application of 25% extra fertilizer as in double planting is not sufficient in triple planting
•Plants took more time to come in to flowering in triple planting and no uniform flowering
•Pseudo stem girth is poor in triple planting
 Timeline of Intervention
• 2008-09
Intervention - OFT - 3 trials
Location – Ranny, Ayroor villages
Technological Option 1 - Double Planting
Technological Option 2- Triple Planting
Details of Refinement
Planting Methodology – Plants planted at the three corners of a triangle of 45 cm,
instead of 30cm last year
Fertilizer Application - Fertilizer dose increased to 75% more than in single
planting, Instead of 25% last year
Other Interventions - 1. Trainings conducted 9 Nos
- 2. Double planting included in FFS conducted
- 3. Presented double planting in the Research – Extension Interaction
organised
by Dep. Of Agri , Pathanamthitta
Critical Input given - Tissue culture plants of Nendran banana
 Timeline of Intervention cont ….
Result
• Average yield/pit (kg) Plant Height
Farmers practice- 8.2kg Farmers practice – 2.90m
Double Planting – 18.7kg Double planting– 3.2m
Triple planting- 20.7kg Triple Planting - 3.45m

Yield (t/ha) Net Return BC Ratio

Farmers practice 8.66 165320 2.95:1

Double planting 28.04 188350 4.05:1

Triple planting 29.31 172550 3.23:1

Observations and Farmers Feed backs

• Farmers plant at a wider spacing of 3 m x3 m reducing the plant population to 1111/ha and
planting is done using suckers
•In triple planting the plants grow taller due to competition for light resulting in greater wind
damage
• Pseudo stem girth considerably improved than last year in triple planting
• One of the plants among the three showed delayed flowering in triple planting
 Timeline of Intervention
• 2009-10
Intervention - OFT - 3 trials
Location – Pandalam Thekkekara Village
Technological Option 1 - Double Planting
Technological Option 2- Triple Planting
Details of Refinement
Planting Methodology – In triple planting the spacing modified to
3.6m x1.8 m as per NRCB, Trichi recommendation
Plants planted at the three corners of a triangle of 45 cm as last year
Fertilizer Application - Fertilizer dose increased to 75% more than in
single planting as last year
Other Interventions - 1. Trainings conducted 12 Nos
- 2. Double planting included in FFS on IFS
- 3. Double plantion demonstrated through ATMA in all the blocks of the
district ( total area of spread of the technology in the district 52 ha )
Critical Input given - Tissue culture plants of Nendran banana
Result – Plants are about to flower
Through the OFTs …
Planting Operations